Tai Chi Treatise by Wang Zong-Yue

 太極拳論 (1)

王崇岳著太極拳論

作者：王崇岳　明朝

太極者，無極而生，陰陽之母也。動之則分，靜之則合。無過不及，隨曲就伸 。人剛我柔謂之走，我順人背謂之粘。動急則急應，動緩則緩隨。雖變化萬端， 而理為一貫。由招熟而漸悟懂勁，由懂勁而階及神明。然非用力日久，不能豁 然貫通焉。虛靈頂勁，氣沉丹田。不偏不倚，忽隱忽現。左重則左虛，右重則 右杳。仰之則彌高，府之則彌深，進之則愈長，退之則愈促。一羽不能加，蠅 蟲不能落，人不知我，我獨知人。英雄所向無敵，蓋皆由此而及也。斯技旁門 甚多，雖勢有區別，概不外，壯欺弱，慢讓快耳。有力打無力，手慢讓手快， 是皆先天自然之能，非關學力而有為也。察四兩撥千斤之句，顯非力勝；觀耄 耋御眾之形，快何能為。立如秤准，活如車輪，偏沉則隨，雙重則滯。每見數 年純功，不能運化者，率皆自為人制，雙重之病未悟而。欲避此病，須知陰陽； 粘即是走，走即是粘，陽不離陰，陰不離陽；陰陽相濟，方為懂勁。懂勁後， 愈練愈精，默識揣摩，漸至從心所欲。本是捨己從人，多誤捨近求遠。所謂差 之毫釐，謬之千里。學者不可不詳辨焉。是為論。

太極拳論 王宗岳 (2)

Tai Chi Treatise (2)

By Wang Zong-Yue

太極者﹐無極而生，陰陽之母也。

Tai Chi means grand limit.  It comes from Wu Chi, which means no limit, and is the mother of Yin and Yang.

動之則分，靜之則合，無過不及，隨曲就伸。

In movement, it separates, in stillness, it combines. It must neither be excessive nor insufficient.  Stretching is found in bending.

人剛我柔謂之走，我順人背謂之粘。

When I meet hardness with softness, this is called to go-along.  When I am in a favourable position, and my opponent is in an unfavourable one, this is called to adhere.

動急則急應。動緩則緩隨，

I respond quickly to rapid attack; I follow calmly to a slow offensive.

雖變化萬端，而理惟一貫。

Although changes and variations are countless, the basic principle remains the same.

由著熟而漸悟懂勁，由懂勁而階及神明。

Through constant practice of forms, postures and applications, come the stages of gradual awareness of the internal energy. Through gradually awareness of the internal energy comes the stages of spiritual understanding.

然非用力之久，不能豁然貫通焉。

Without a long period of arduous and persistent effort one cannot achieve thorough understanding.

虛領頂勁，氣沉丹田。

Always lift the spirit up to the crown, sink the qi down to the dantien (lower abdomen).

不偏不倚，忽隱忽現。

No leaning (on opponents), no inclining (to one side, constantly maintaining the central equilibrium) . Suddenly appearing and suddenly disappearing.

左重則左虛，右重則右杳。

When strong force is felt on the left, the left becomes insubstantial. When strong force is felt to the right, the right disappears.

仰之則彌高，俯之則彌深，進之則愈長，退之則愈促。

Countering a force pushing me up, I rise higher. Confronting a force pushing me down, I sink lower.

The more my opponent advances, the more he feels the distance unreachable. The more my opponent retreats, the more he feels he cannot escape.

一羽不能加，蠅蟲不能落，人不知我，我獨知人。

Neither a feather can be added, nor a fly can alight without me noticing the change of equilibrium. 

My opponents do not know me; I alone know my opponents.

英雄所向無敵，蓋皆由此而及也。

These are the reasons why the master is invincible. 

斯技旁門甚多，雖勢有區別，概不外乎壯欺弱、慢讓快耳。

In martial arts there are many different schools. Although they differ in form, most can never go beyond reliance upon the strong overcoming the weak, the fast overtaking the slow.

有力打無力，手慢讓手快，是皆先天自然之能，非關學力而有為也。

The strong defeat the weak, the fast defeat the slow; this is due to innate physical endowment, and has nothing to do with hard study and patient practice.

察四兩撥千斤之句，顯非力勝；

Examining the old saying, "four ounces deflect a thousand pounds"; it is clear that this cannot be achieved by sheer force alone.

觀耄耋能御眾之形，快何能為。

Having seen an old man defeating a group of people, how can this be executed solely due to swiftness?

立如秤準，活如車輪，偏沉則隨，雙重則滯。

Stand still like a balanced scale; move freely like a whirling wheel.

Focusing too much to one side is the cause of losing balance.  Double heaviness is the cause of stagnation.  

每見數年純功，不能運化者，率皆自為人制，雙重之病未悟耳。

One can frequently see many who have spent years of painstaking practice; they are still unable to neutralise an attacking force, and are always controlled by others.

This is because they still have not fully comprehended the fault of double heaviness.

欲避此病，須知陰陽；

To avoid this problem you must understand the separation of Yin and Yang.

粘即是走，走即是粘，陰不離陽，陽不離陰；

To adhere is to go-along; to go-along is to adhere.  Yang does not leave Yin; Yin does not leave Yang. 

陰陽相濟，方為懂勁。

Yin and Yang should be complementary.  When Yin and Yang can complement each other,  one starts to comprehend internal strength.

懂勁後，愈練愈精，默識揣摩，漸至從心所欲。

After I started to comprehend the internal strength, the more I practised the better my skill became. Watching and understanding quietly, practising and experiencing, I gradually reached a level where I felt I could act at will.

本是舍己從人，多誤舍近求遠。

Basically one should let go of oneself and follow one's opponent. Most people misunderstand this; they give up what is within reach and seek something far away.

所謂差之毫厘，謬以千里。

This is what is described as: The slightest deviation will take you a thousand miles away from the right way.

學者不可不詳辨焉。以為論。

In the study of this art, students should critically distinguish right from wrong, truth from falsehood. For this reason this treatise is made.

Note:

1. Extract from Wikisource: https://zh.wikisource.org/zh-hant/太极拳论
2. The English translation is based partly on The Showme Tai Chi Society web page article: https://www.philcheung.com/TaiChi/ex_05e.htm, and partly on the book "Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan - Forms, Concepts and Applications of the Original Style" by Wu Ying-hua and Ma Yueh-liang.